Strap-seal



S. J. ORNSTON.

STRAP SEAL.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 10, 1919. 1 345 806 Patented July 6, 1920..

2 .1. 1 v, fldgv m Fig a 4h UNITED STATS SIDNEY J. ORNSTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STRAP-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Application filed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 322,809.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SIDNEY J. ORNSTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Strap-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to metallic tie pieces used for securing together the ends of metallic binding straps after the latter have been drawn taut by any of the various mechanical expedients known in the art. The object of my invention is to afford a simple, cheap, but effective and positive coupling seal of this character which is practically safe and reliable in the sense that it cannot be tampered with or opened up without damaging the seal to such an extent as to preclude the possibility of its being successfully readjusted or closed,while atthe same time the operation of clenching the seal interlocks and unites its plies integrally with the inclosed overlapping portions of the binding strap in such manner as to resist all tensile strain and render the seal as strong as, if not stronger than, the band itself.

Hence my invention consists in the specific construction and arrangement of parts de-' scribed and claimed, distinctive features being the formation of the body of the coupling piece with superposed under plies or laps of full width, and in alinement with the strap end sleeve or receptacle, so that the edges of the said superposed under plies extend transversely across the strap ends when the latter are inserted in said receptacle, and in the closing of the otherwise open edges of the coupling piece and securing the said under-ply laps by means of over and inwardly turned flanges integral with the top or middle portion of the one piece blank from which the whole coupling sleeve is formed,the edges of said lateral flanges being thus positioned on the under side of the seal and against the package when applied thereto, so that the several thicknesses of metal composing the seal cannot be tampered with or pried apart under ordinary conditions of use without obviously destroying the coupling seal.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is a view of my seal blank, fully extended;

Fig. 2, is a view of the same with one of the laps folded over the central portion of the blank, said central portion constituting the upper plate or faceof the seal;

Fig. 3, is a view showing the other lap 0 folded into position to constitute the bottom plate of the device;

Fig. 4, is a view showing the completion of the coupling device by the folding of the lateral edge flanges of the central face plate over and under the lateral edges of the flap plates,this view representing the under side of my coupling seal;

Fig. 5, is a view of the upper or face side of my coupling seal;

Fig. 6, is a section taken upon plane of line 6-6, Fig. 4:;

Fig. 7, is a section taken upon plane of line 7-7, Fig. f;

Fig. 8, is a top view of my coupling seal applied to the overlapping ends of a flat metallic band;

Fig. 9, is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10, is a view of the under side of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11, is a view like unto Fig. 8, after the parts have been clenched together;

Fig. 12, is a section taken upon plane of line l2-12, Fig. 11, only the coupling sleeve being section lined however, to obviate con'i fusion in hatching.

In this connection it may be stated that the thickness of the metal of which my coupling seal isformed, as well as of the strap ends, is necessarily exaggerated in certain figures of the drawings for the sake of clearness of illustration. As a matter of fact the material may be and is less than one half the thickness of that shown, although I do not limit myself in this respect.

My improved coupling seal for metallic bands is formed from a blank consisting of a single piece of sheet metal of suitable character and thickness, and of a configuration substantially like that shown in Fig. 1. That is to say, the blank has a central portion a, which constitutes the outer or upper plate of the device when folded ready for use,said centralportion a, having longitudinal extensions a, a beyond the transverse strap slots a*, and also having lateral flange extensions w.

The longitudinal extensions or laps a, (E, are folded over each other to form the bottom or under side of the sleeve or receptacle for the ends 8, s, of the metallic strap,--the plate a, and the opposed surface of the inner lap (a, as shown in the drawings, although either lap a, a may be so positioned) being sufiicient to accommodate the overlapping strap ends as passed through the slots (1%, a*. 'sions or laps a, 611?, are thus folded the one over the other, as in Fig. 3, thelateral flange extensions a a "of the face plate a, are bent around the side edges of said laps a,

0 the edges of said flanges a a being permanently positioned underneath and against the lower plate. Thus the said lateral flanges a a not only isolate and protect the side edges of the lap plates at,

a ,but also sustain and reinforce said'bottom plates, and bind the parts of the blank into a stiff unitary structure. Not the least important function afforded by the lateral flanges a a thus utilized, is their-prevention of the insertion of a sharp point or blade between the superposed plates of the seal, so that my coupling device cannot be pried apart or otherwise tampered with surreptitiously.

The completed coupling is shown in Figs. 4:, 5, 6 and '7, of the drawings, in which shape'it is ready to receive and embrace the ends of the strap as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. When-thus positioned upontheoverlapping strap ends 8, s, the'seal is completed and rendered permanent by puncturing the face plate a, and the underlying portions of the strap, and'preferably by punching through all the superposed thicknesses of metal, as indicated in Figs. '11 and 12. By this means the affected portions of the straps are bent over and clenched. by and against adjacent parts of the coupling-device, and a positive seal is attained which will effectually resist tensional strain,.and which can only be rendered inoperative by the actual rupture of the parts.

After the longitudinal exten- When the blank is folded, ready for use, the slots a a are at the margins of opposite edges of the coupling, confined between shoulders formed by the walls of the slots,

as seen best in Figs. 8, 10 and 11, while the lap plates at of overlap each other the full width of the coupling, and then the flanges a a are folded over the overlapped portions, as seen in Fig. 7. When the parts are punched, as seen in Fig. 12, the parts are so firmly held together that separation cannot take place.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

y 1. A strap seal of the character designated,- comprising the overlapping strap ends, and an embracing coupling consisting of a single blank of sheet metal formed with ja central outer face plate, strap slots in said blank, and overlapping end extensions, and lateral extensions at opposite edges and foldable toward each other over the oppositely-folded portions of the seal to protect the edges thereof, the'straps and superposed coupling .plates being punctured to clench the parts together, for the purpose described.

2. A strap seal of the character designated, comprising the overlapping strap ends, and an embracing coupling consisting of a single blank of'sheet metal formed with av central outer portion'or face plate, strap slots, and overlapping end extensions in close contact with each other, the lateral edges of said central outer portion or face plate being bent around and under the said overlapping end extensions of the blank, and the straps andsuperposed plates of the coupling being punctured to clench the parts together, for the purpose described. v

SIDNEY J. ORNSTON. Titnesses: i

I GEO. WM. MIATT,

' DOROTHY MIATT. 

